Ribbon cable and method of manufacturing same



Dec. 30, 1947.

G. DEAKvlN RIBBON CABLE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME Filed Feb. 5,1945 INVENToR. kau fA/r//v 46E/YT Patented Dec. 30, 1947 RIBBON CABLEAND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME Gerald Deakin, New York, N. Y.,assignor to International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N.Y,. a corporation of Delaware Application February 5, 1943, Serial No..474,817

l This invention relates to a ribbon cable for multiplingswitch'terminals banks in automatic telephone and othertele-communication systems y and to methods of fabricating such cables.

An object of the invention is the provision of a ribbon cable which isinexpensive to manufac- 4 claims. (o1. 15e-2.24)

'between a further block I'I and plate lbetween a punch block 'l andbase plate 8 and IIl. A member I8 then depresses' the punches I9 andpunches eight elongated holes 3 as shown in Fig. 1

ture, which is simple in construction, which permits the use ofnon-hygroscopic insulating matespaced bare wire conductors runningparallel along the length of the strip, each wire being formed withloops which extend through holes punchedl in the strip and then bent toproject over an edge thereof. Thinribbons ofi plasticized paper, i. e. apaper impregnated With an y insulating and plasticizer compound or othersuitable inslating material secure the wire to the surfaces of thestrip.

The ribbon cable is composed of patterns, each a multiple-of the other.Each pattern is completed iny four operations; (1) holes are punched inthe'stripof insulating material, (2) loops are formed in the-wireconductors, (3) the loops are flattened against a surface of the strip,and (4) thewire conductors and loops arev secured in position andinsulated. "r l In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of aribbon cable according to the invention showing the different stages inits production, whilst Fig. 2 is an elevation illustratingdiagrammatically the method of manufacture.

The cable consists essentially of a thin plasticv or treated fiber paperstrip I, eight or any desired other number of thin bronze or copperwires 2 which run down the length of the strip K are then covered byplasticized insulating strips 4 as shown at C.

in manufacturing the cable, the strip or tape I from roll 5, Fig. 2, isdrawn under a roller 6 vtrally acrossv one of vthepunched holes 3.

in the tape I. The tape I is then stepped to position A together'l witheight wires 2 from eight rollers such als. 9:.the wires 2 are spacedacross the width of theY Itape I so that each passes cen- The member I1is drilled with eight holes which register with the holes 3, whilst thebase plate I0 is provided with eight plungers or pins II which alsoregister with the holes 3 but are of slightly smaller cross-sectionalarea. The ends of the pins II are rounded and-formed 4with gropves-orslots to engage the wires] wherejth'ey fext'end lacross the holes3. By,means fof plungefrsv 2Qthe l pins II are forced against `thetensionof'springs I2 against the eight wires 2, forcing them 11pwardlythrough the holes in member I'l .to form loops of graduated lengths asshown at I6. The

plungers 20 are then retracted, the pins II are withdrawn under theaction of the springs I2 and the, member I1 is lifted leaving the loopsI6 'elevated. When this operation is going on member I8 is punching aseries of holes for the folof eight loops a series of pins or hooks I3shown at B in Fig'. 1.

The tape I and the attened loops I6 are then advanced a further andiinalstep to position C in which two thin ribbons 4 of plasticized paper orother suitable insulating material are applied one to each surface ofthe tape I to hold the wires 2 and loops I6 in position. The assemblythen passes between two rollers I4 where the ribbons 4 are firmlyattached to the tape I by heat or pressure or both.

It will be appreciated that all the various stages of operation may besimultaneously carried out after each forward movement of the assembledribbon. Moreover the loops may be formed and flattened against thestripfwhilst the assembly is in the same position. A

Semi-circular indentatlons I5 in the edge of the tape are spaced toregister with corresponding grooves in the base of the terminal bank andmay be automatically punched out during the manufacture of the ribbonvcable.

The cable may be cut into sections of suitable length and placed in flattrays without being rolled. The construction of the cable permitscutting between patterns without fear of causing short-circuits. Thewire should be of a gauge as small as possible consistent with therequired mechanical strength and should be suitable for effectingelectrical connection with the terminals by welding or soldering.

Since, in practice, the distance between patterns or a series ofpatterns will vary, it is necessary that the space between patterns beadjustable. This may be carried out in the manufacture of the cable bydisplacing the punch block l and base plate 8 the required additionaldistance to the right as necessary, as for example by means of suitablecam-controlled mechanism.

What I claim is:

1. The method of fabricating ribbon cable for a telecommunication systemwhich comprises feeding lengthwise thereof a continuous strip ofinsulating material having a series of holes in spaced relation andaligned lengthwise of said strip, delivering a continuous length of bareconductor wire so as to extend along a face of said strip lengthwisethereof in register with said holes, projecting portions of saidcontinuous wire through said holes one after the other to formsuccessive loops in said Wire at the opposite face of said strip, layingsaid loops in flat relation to said opposite face of said strip andextending transversely of the length of the strip, and fastening saidloops imposition on said 4face of the strip.

2. The method of fabricating ribbon cable for terminal banks in atelecommunication system which comprises punching a set of holes in astrip of insulating material in spaced relation transversely of thelength of the strip, extending a plurality of continuous lengths of bareconductor wires .along a face of said strip lengthwise thereof in spacedparallel relation to each other and respectively in register with saidholes, projecting portions of said'continuous Wires through therespective holes to form loops of said wires at the opposite face ofsaid strip, laying said loops in flat relation to said opposite face ofsaid strip with the loops of the respective wires extending transverselyof the strip in spaced relation to each other, and fastening upon saidstrip and looped Wire assembly a strip of insulating material extendingalong the length thereof to provide an insulating covering for saidloops.

3. The method of fabricating ribbon cable for terminal banks in atelecommunication system which comprises punching holes in a strip ofinsulating material in spaced relation in a row extending diagonally ofthe length of said strip, extending parallel to the length of the stripalong a face thereof a plurality of'continuous lengths oi.' bareconductor wires in spaced relation to each other and respectively inline with and spanning said holes, pressing upon the portions o! therespective wires which span said holes to form loops of said wiresprojecting from said holes at the opposite face of said strip, andlaying said loops upon said opposite face of the strip in parallelrelation to each other and extending transversely oi the length of thestrip, said pressing step being effective to produce lengths of therespective loops which are sufiicient when laid upon said opposite faceto extend beyond the edge of said strip.

4. A continuous process for the manufacture of multiple-conductor ribboncable suitable for use in switch terminal banks of automatictelecommunication systems which includes feeding a continuous thin fiatstrip of insulating material in intermittent advancing movements,forming at a first station a set of perforations in said strip spacedfrom` each other transversely of the strip, delivering a plurality ofcontinuous bare electrical conductors into contact with one face of saidstrip so that they extend lengthwise thereof in spaced relationtransversely of said strip with each conductor spanning one of saidperforations,

' projecting at a second station the portions of said conductors whichspan said perforatlons through the respective perforations to form loopsof conductor extending beyond the opposite face of said strip at rightangles thereto, laying said loops upon the opposite face of said stripso that they lie parallel to each other transversely of said strip andextend slightly Vbeyond one edge of said strip, feeding a ribbon ofinsulating material into contact with each of the faces of saidconductor-strip assembly and, at a nal station, combining said ribbonswith said conductor-strip assembly under pressure, said perforating,projecting and laying operations occurring simultaneously, at theirrespective stations, between successive advancing movements of thestrip.

GERALD DEAKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of `record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 782,391 Hanson Feb. 14, 19051,257,394 R'eynolds Feb. 26, 1918 1,127,741 Dixon A Feb, 9, 1915 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 235,072 Great Britain June 11, 1925

